Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 4/10/2023 + 2617 more book reviews

Another gripping Amish Country Justice book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The suspense was intense, the action was fast-paced, and the romance was sweet.

Lissa is a strong and resilient character. Born deaf, she hears with the help of cochlear implants. Her first love deserted her when she became pregnant, and her parents kicked her out, leaving her to fend for herself. Determined to give her daughter the best life possible, Lissa gave up her dreams of a culinary career and took a job as a crime scene cleaner. The work isn't pleasant, but the pay and benefits keep her going. As the book opens, Lissa is called to a familiar address for a cleanup job - that of her best friend, who has been murdered. Tracy was a rookie police officer with the local department. As Lissa finishes the job, something catches her eye, but someone hits her over the head before she can pick it up, knocking her unconscious.

Deputy US Marshal Micah Bender is a former Amish man who left the community to become a law enforcement officer. When he was eight, his younger sister was kidnapped when he was supposed to watch her. She remained missing for 22 years before being found (Her Secret Amish Past). The guilt of that event stayed with him for many years and motivated him to join the marshals. A year and a half earlier, Micah's fiancée was brutally murdered, adding to his feeling of failure at keeping his loved ones safe. Micah was assigned the case of a serial killer, BCK, the Birthday Card Killer, which brought him to the killer's latest victim - Lissa's friend Tracy. He arrives just in time to keep Lissa from becoming the next victim.

The blow to her head affected Lissa's memory, so she doesn't remember the piece of evidence that started the trouble. The killer doesn't know that and is determined to eliminate the only person who can identify him. The action is nonstop as Micah attempts to keep Lissa and her daughter, Shelby, safe, and they can barely keep one step ahead of the killer, who is constantly on their heels. From exploding houses to exploding arrows and from Lissa's home to Micah's family's farm, the twists and turns of this story kept me guessing to the very end. Just when I thought I had it figured out, an unexpected twist proved me wrong. The final confrontation was a nail-biter.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Micah and Lissa. Both are wary of giving their hearts. Lissa has been burned twice by men she thought she could trust, and she has trouble trusting her judgment regarding Micah. Meanwhile, Micah has difficulty opening his heart to another woman after losing his fiancée so tragically. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny the growing feelings between them. I loved Micah's protectiveness toward Lissa and Shelby. It was also sweet to see him with Shelby. It was obvious that he would be a terrific father.

Lissa loves him and believes in him, but when everything is over, Micah is still weighed down by what he believes is his inability to keep her safe. He pulls away, telling Lissa he's too broken and must fix himself. I wanted to shake him for wallowing in self-pity and was happy to see his brother Gideon call him out on his idiocy. Thank goodness Gideon got through to him. Micah's arrival at Lissa's house and his emotional confession of his feelings and fears were fantastic. Lissa was sweet and didn't make him grovel for long. The epilogue was great, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

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